Excessive TV Time

Dr. Roger McIntire

Second in the series about avoiding childhood disasters.

The studies also showed that the overstimulated little TV addicts had an increased likelihood of attention disorders in later childhood.

The studies are in this month's issue of Pediatrics and show that 37 percent of 1,345 one-year-olds watched one to two hours of TV and had a 10 to 20 percent increased risk of attention disorders over children who watched no TV.

The advocates of educational TV think the results don't apply to their more respectable TV. But it seems it is the amount of TV that's crucial because one-year-olds note little difference from one program to another. Tube zombies were even more plentiful among the study's three-year-olds; 38 percent watched more than three hours each day.

Many parents feel the pressure of keeping kids busy and TV and computer games seems like an easy answer. But for parents who have time to raise their children, it would be best to limit TV to one hour each day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV at all for children under 2 - not even Barney or Sesame Street. Anyway, these young ones probably can't tell the difference between Barney and reruns of NYPD Blue.

As it was with cigarettes, the first line of defense by business is to deny any connection between the product and its bad effects. This in spite of the Academy report that 1,000 studies show that exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior in both children and adolescents. While the networks point to the great success of commercials selling cars and medications to adults and fast food and toys to children, they still maintain that the violence in the shows themselves sells nothing bad. Amazing.

Children who don't watch TV can still get into trouble without the guidance of supervised activities - especially in the afternoon. With older kids you might guess the late night hours would be the most likely time for trouble, but actually crime statistics show that the most dangerous time for children, even teens, is after school.

A California study found that everything from violent crime to drug use to sexual activity reaches its peak in the afternoon. Reports of juvenile crimes averaged 370 between 7 and 8 a.m. and peaked at 1,500 between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Even the prime time for serious car accidents for 16- and 17-year-olds is from 3 to 6 p.m.

After-school programs drastically lower these statistics. Vandalism and theft were reduced two-thirds for the California kids participating in after-school programs.

Parents are tempted to avoid the flak, turn on the TV, and do most chores themselves. Instead, they could start teaching the children how to do the chores they will need to do all their lives - the laundry, the dishes, the lawn, even some of the shopping. The contradiction is that while children may whine and moan at the prospect of doing chores, their feelings of self-worth and accomplishment continue to sink with each passing TV hour. Ever notice how grumpy they are after a long TV session?

Children are not good managers of their conflicts between being lazy or useful, and parents can easily play into the wrong side of the equation for the sake of convenience.Instead, replace some TV hours with useful practice. Start on the laundry, the shopping, the lawn, and the meals. The TV can wait.

Dr. McIntire is the author of Teenagers and Parents: 10 Steps to a Better Relationship and Raising Good Kids in Tough Times. Write him through the CCBS or go to www.ParentSuccess.com.

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